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OU football: Kendal Thompson immediately eligible at Utah

Thompson took advantage of a special NCAA rule that allows athletes who have completed their undergraduate degrees to transfer without having to sit out a season, provided the player enrolls in a graduate program not offered by his former school.

Former Oklahoma quarterback Kendal Thompson chose to graduate and transfer to Utah, where he’ll be immediately eligible with two more years to play.

Oklahoma State defensive end Jimmy Bean, left, reaches for Oklahoma quarterback Kendal Thompson during the first half of an NCAA football game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013. Thompson had 17 yards passing in the 33-24 win over rival Oklahoma State. (AP Photo/Brody Schmidt)

Thompson took advantage of a special NCAA rule that allows athletes who have completed their undergraduate degrees to transfer without having to sit out a season, provided the player enrolls in a graduate program not offered by his former school.

Here’s a look at five memorable graduate transfers since the option became available in 2006:

RUSSELL WILSON

•Position: Quarterback

•School switch: N.C. State to Wisconsin

•What happened: Wilson led N.C. State to a 9-4 record his junior year in 2010, but decided to give up football and pursue a professional baseball career. When that didn’t work out, N.C. State granted him a release, he graduated and transferred to Wisconsin. Wilson led the Badgers to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl victory in his only year there. Wilson, of course, became the Seattle Seahawks’ starting quarterback as a rookie in 2012, and just this month led Seattle to a Super Bowl title.

DREW ALLEN

•Position: Quarterback

•School switch: Oklahoma to Syracuse

•What happened: Allen dropped to third on the OU depth chart behind Landry Jones and Blake Bell in 2012, so he opted to graduate and transfer to Syracuse last summer. Allen was named the Orange’s starter out of fall camp, but struggled and lost his job after a few weeks.

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Jason Kersey became The Oklahoman's OU football beat writer in May 2012 after a year covering high school sports and OSU recruiting. Before joining the newspaper in November 2006 as a part-time results clerk, he covered high school football for...